Friday, April 25, 2014

Trap for Cinderella DVD Review

Reviewed by Allie Schembra

Following a house fire that killed her childhood friend and left her badly burned, 20-year-old Micky wakes up in a Swiss clinic, suffering from amnesia. Remembering nothing about the incident or her past, she’s whisked away by her wealthy aunt’s assistant to her childhood home in England where she begins to piece together her memories. Through connections with people from her former life as well as mementos that provide clues to who she was, Micky begins to unravel the tangled web of her psyche. But as she gets closer and closer to rebuilding her old self, she begins to uncover evidence of a deadly plot that may have led to the fatal blaze and of which she herself may have been the orchestrator. With twisting suspense and jaw-dropping thrills, Trap for Cinderella is a unique whodunit of shocking self-discovery.

Film (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)

Micky wakes up on a hospital recovering after massive reconstructive surgery following an explosion at her home in the south of France. She is picked up by her Aunt’s personal assistant, Julia, and returns home to London, where she continues her recovery. Micky has no memory of the fire that killed her best friend, Do, and barely remembers her life prior to the fire. As she recovers, she has flashes of memories from her childhood and the months before the fire.

After meeting up with her former boyfriend who gives her the keys to her flat, Micky goes there to try to remember her life. Once there, she finds her life was a little out of control – partying, drinking and drugs, and finds the diaries of her childhood best friend, Do. Once Micky begins reading the diaries, she starts remembering more and more of her relationship with Do, her aunt Elinor, and Julia.

In flashbacks, the viewer learns that Micky randomly ran into Do at the bank she works at. Rekindling their friendship, Micky and Do become inseparable and Do begins taking on Micky’s look and personality. When Julia arrives and tells Micky that her aunt is gravely ill and not expected to live much longer, Micky and Do return to the villa in the south of France to say their goodbyes. They live the life of the rich party girls and, after the death of Elinor, Micky and Do remain in France and continue partying, but Julia and Do have another plan for Micky’s life.

I could write much more, but since I don’t want to give anything away with spoilers, I’ll leave the recap at that. Trap for Cinderella started out a little slow, but really builds and there were many twists and turns. It’s a bit predictable in that I was able to figure out the twists, but they were really well done and I liked how they were incorporated into the story. None of the reveals were too obvious, but there was a lot of foreshadowing and if the viewer is paying attention, he or she will figure it out. However, that doesn’t take away from the movie and I really enjoyed it.

Video (4 out of 5 stars)

Trap for Cinderella is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic wide screen and is beautifully done. The picture is clear, gritty or cloudy when it needs to be and the colors are bright and beautiful. Colors are sharp and bright and blend well together. Nothing seems out of place and the blues of the water in both the south of France beach scenes and the pool are natural and inviting. The scenery makes me want to visit the places the movie was filmed and see it all for myself.

Audio (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)

The Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation of Trap for Cinderella is pretty good. The character of Micky speaks really softly at the beginning of the film, so it was a little hard to hear. After a while, though, she speaks louder and more clearly and there was no problem hearing what was being said. Background sounds were not overwhelming but were prominent and everything was heard clearly. The special effects sounds (the explosion, specifically) were accurate and natural and didn’t seem out of place or overdone.

Extras (3 out of 5 stars)

The special features were interesting. I enjoyed hearing from the main character actors, the director and two producers their thoughts on the film, how they became involved and the processes they went through to create the characters and sets, which made a good film.

Cast and crew interviews:

Tuppence Middleton – Micky

Alexandra Roach – Do

Tuppence Middleton and Alexandra Roach

Aneurin Barnard – Jake

Fances de la Tour – Elinor

Kerry Fox – Julia

Iain Softley – Director

Robert Jones – Producer

Dixie Linder – Producer

Trailer – This is the official trailer for Trap for Cinderella.

Summary (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)

At first, I was thinking that Trap for Cinderella was going to be very similar to Single White Female. However, it was not and I found myself really drawn into it. Though it was slightly predictable, it kept me entertained and engaged for the whole 100 minutes. It’s funny how you see an actor or actress and once you realize what part he or she is famous for, that part is all you can see. Harry Potter fans will recognize Frances de la Tour (Elinor) as Madame Maxime, but she is no giant or witch in this film. Though her part is small, it is significant and even off screen her character has an effect on the outcome of the film. Trap for Cinderella is touted as a psychological thriller, and while not so much a thriller, it definitely has many psychological elements to it. Definitely one to keep in my rotation.